Improvement in processes and apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



PATENT JAMES J. JOHNSTON, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,426, dated July 25,1871; antedated July 13, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, J AMns J. JOHNSTON, of the city and county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement for Treating Hydrocarbon Oils; and l do hereby declare thatthefollowin g is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

The nature of my invention consists in treating hydrocarbon oils by theaction of steam, through the medium of the apparatus hereinafterdescribed, for the purpose of washing, purifying, deodorizing, andincreasing the fire-test of said oils.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of my speciica-tion, A andB represent a vertical and longitudinal section of an ordinarysteam-boiler and its furnace. To the steam-boiler A is attached a pipe,O, from which a pipe, D, projects downward into an oil-reservoir, h, andenters a pipe, e, as indicated at j', the lower end of which isbcll-mouthed, as at g, and extends from near the bottom of the reservoirh to the lower edge and end of the pipe (l, within the chamber J, towhich is attached a number of pipes, lc, the lower ends of which areconnected with a pipe or chamber, I, the outlet of which is providedwith a trap, m, and a pipe, a. The greatest portion of the chamber J,and all of the pipes 7c and pipe or chamber l, are immersed in waterheld in ay tank or reservoir, P. llhe ends of the pipes C and c withinthe chamber J are arranged at right angles with each other, as indicatedat au rllhe apertures or outlets at a' of the pipes O and c should bemade so that the steam and oil iiowing from the pipes and apertures willbe spread out in a broad thin sheet. The pipe C and its branch pipe Dare provided with valves s and y for the purpose of regulating the flowof steam through them, and steam and oil through the pipe e. f

As the construction and arrangement of the several parts ofmyimprovement, and the relation that the various parts bear to eachother, will be readily understood from the foregoing description and byreference to the accompanying drawing, I will therefore proceed todescribe the operation, which is as follows: Steam ilows from the boilerA through pipe O, the valves s and y are opened, giving the steam thelead in pipe D by opening the valve y a little in advance of valve s,the steam iiowing from pipe C across the upper end of pipe e, and thesteam flowing upward in pipe c from the pipe D will cause the oil in thereservoir h to be drawn up in pipe e, where it will be heated andthoroughly mixed with the steam and then pass out at the upper end ofpipe e, where it comes in contact with thesteam flowing out at the endof pipe C, which will spread the mixed steam and oil out into a thinsheet of iine spray or vapor, which, coming in contact with the sides ofthe chamber J and the pipes connected thereto, will be condensed, andthe water and oil, the product of condensation, will iiow out throughthe trap m ofthe chamber or pipe l into a suitable vessel or reservoir,where it is allowed to remain until the oil and water become separatedfrom each other. rlhe fixed gases common to the oil pass off through thepipe u. The oil may dow from the condenser connected with the stillthrough pipe l into the reservoir, from which it is drawn up fortreatment, as herein described. By subjecting distilled or crudehydrocarbon oils to the action of steam in the manner and by the meanshereinbefore described it will heat it and divide it into a ne spray orvapor, so that each minute globule or particle of oil will be submittedto the solventproperty of the steam, which will wash, purify, clarify,deodorize, and separate the oil from its inilaminable gases, increasingthe lire-test of the oil and also its burning qualities. By treating oilas hereinbefore described the use of alkali and acid is avoided, and

Witnesses:

A. C. JOHNSTON, Jos. H. Davis.

